The Age of Innocence, Part V summary
Part V of 34 · Book 1 · 12 min to read the part
In V, Newland stays home for Sillerton Jackson’s dinner visit and challenges his family’s judgment of Ellen Olenska, defending her separation and supporting the possibility of divorce. When Jackson reports that Ellen lives with her husband’s secretary, Newland argues for women’s freedom, exposing a conflict between his convictions and his household’s social rules.
What happens
- Sillerton Jackson dines with the Archers, whose interest in gossip makes them an appreciative audience.
- Discussion moves from Mrs. Struthers’s background to Ellen’s absence from the ball and her walk with Beaufort.
- Newland challenges criticism of Ellen and says her unhappy marriage does not justify treating her as an outcast.
- Janey mentions a possible divorce, and Newland shocks his mother by supporting it within the butler’s hearing.
- Alone with Newland, Jackson reports that Ellen and the secretary share a home in Lausanne.
- Newland demands equal freedom for women, and Jackson observes that Count Olenski makes no effort to recover his wife.
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In this part
What to notice
Newland states a principle that challenges his family’s treatment of Ellen. The narration also marks his failure to think through what equal freedom entails.
Quick check
Why does Newland say Ellen decides against attending the ball?
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